Elevating apparatus



1,524,043 J. H. LETZ a1 P11611 Aug. v, 1919 3 sheets-sheet 1 Jan, 27, 1925.

EILEVATING APPARATUS Jam 27, 1925.

J. H. LETZ ELEVATING APPARATUS rigina f) /g' 2 aw/W n a m J .r y m e u w w. L, w M2 n Jan, 27, l

J. H. LETZ ELEVATING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed Aug. 7, 1919 Patented Jan. 27, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT' OFFICE.

JOHN HOLLAND LETZ, OF CROWN POINT, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE LETZ MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF CROWN POINT, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

ELEVATING APPARATUS.

Original application filed August 7, 1919, Serial No. 315,869. Divided and this application led December f 3, 1919. Serial No. 342,147. v

This application, which is a division of'4 my application No. 315,869, filed August 7, 1919, now Patent 1,440,475, Jan. 2, 1923, for grinding machines, is concerned with a novel mechanism whereby'the material being ground or otherwise treated is lifted in the machine from one level to another,.andf

is intended to cover said novel mechanism broadly irrespective of whether it is used in a grinding, machine, or any other apparatus in which material is conveyed from one level to another. To illustrate my invention I annex hereto three sheets of draw.- ings, in which the same reference characters are used to designate identical parts in all the figures of whlch,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a grinding machine, embodying my invention, with most of it in central vertical longitudinal section;

Fig. 2 is a view in section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, but on a larger scale;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1, on the same scale as Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an elevating hook employed in my invention; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one end of the worm conveyer showing the lifting flange thereon.

As my invention is applied'to a grinding machine, the basis of the framework is amain frame or concave casting 2O supported upon the four legs 21 bolted to the four corners thereof. The main shaft 23 is journaled at its left-hand end in the'bearings 24 and 25 carried by the cover cap 26 of the customary burr-casing 27 bolted to the end of the casting 20 and containing therein a rotating burr 28 secured on 'the shaft 23 and cooperating with a stationary burr 29 supported by trammels in the burr-casing, the position of the two burrs being shown dia- 'gpmmatically in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

struction, such for instance as shown in my Patent No. 1,223,497, dated April 24, 1917.

The shaft 23 is shown as journaled at its right-hand end in the bearing 30, preferably adjustably supported, -as shown, in the auxiliary bearing stand .31 supported upon the legs 32 and carries the fly-wheel 33 and the belt-wheel 34 by which it is driven adjacent said bearing. It has secured thereon the hollow generally cylindrical cutter head casting 35, which, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, has bolted or otherwise secured on the periphery thereof a pair of helical. cutting blades 36, which shear against the pair of cutter bars 37 and 38 screwed or otherwise secured to the supporting bars 39 and 40, suitably supported from the framework of the machine.

The shaft 23 is also journaled in the cooperating half bearings 57 and 58 in the end castings 59, which form the ends of the generally cylindrical concave inwhich the cutter head rotates, the bottom of which concave is formed by the substantially semicircular screen plate 62, which is suitably supported in the framework of` the machine, as will be particularly described hereinafter. The top of the concave for the cutter head is formed by the curved plate 64, seen in cross-section in Fig. 2 and extending between and connecting the end castings 59. A feed trough'65 of customary construction is connected to the end castings 59. A pair offeed rolls 66 and 67 secured on the shafts 68 and 69 are journaled in customary sliding bearing boxes in rectangular recesses 70 and in the xed bearing, respectively, in the end castings, and serve td feed the material to the cutter head, and these feed roll shafts are driven at the proper speed from the shaft 23 by suitable gearing not herein fully disclosed, and which need not be described as it forms no part of my present invention.

A spur-gear pinion'74, seen in Fig. 1, on the shaft 23 meshes with the spur-gear wheel secured on the shaft 72, which I preferably provide with the ball and socket bearing 76 at one end and with the ball and as seen in Fig. 1, is provided with a removf able section 103 secured in place by bolts and lnuts 104 see Fig.'3) so that in case no grinding, as distinguished from cutting, is desired, the door or section 103 can be removed and the cut hay or fodder discharged at this point without further action on 1t by the machine. Extending across the upper part of the trough in the vertical plane of the offsets 101l and 102 is a separatv ing plate 105. with its concavely curved upper edge contacting with the end of the screen 62, while its concave lower edge forms an arch over the shaft 72, the flange of the conve'yer 73 being interrupted at this pointto allow the plate to approach the shaft 72 and prevent the material falling backward.

asit 'would tend to do when it is being lifted,I

beyond the plate 105.

The conveyer flange between the plate 105 and the adjacent end of the trough, is seen in perspective in Fig. 5, and consists of the short helical portion 106, which has the'ordinary screw function, terminating in a flat portion 107 extending tangentially from the h-ub and parallel to the axis of thel shaft. This portion 10'7 serves to lift the cut material'substantially into the horizontal plane of a pair of hooks 108, seen in perspective in Fig. 4, and extending from the hub portion 109 secured on the shaft 23. The hooks 108 are slightly inclined so as to throw theV material lifted thereby towards the burr end of the machine, and as clearly seen have their leading (as they' are rotated) faces concave. while the following faces arc couvex. The casting 20 has bolted on it over the hooks 108 a cover piece 110, the main portion of which is semi-circular in crosssection and approaches closely to the path of the ends of the hooks 108. An extension 111 slants downward and inward to produce a truncated semi-conical portion which terminates close to the helical screw flange 112 formed on the hub 109 and co-operating with the material lifted by the hooks 108 to the short trough-like portion 113 of the casting 20. A flange 114 between the portions 110 and y111 serves as a seat for that en'd of the sheet metal hopper 115 secured at its bottom to the casting 20. and having its other end secured to the burr-casing 27. A breaking concave 116 is bolted to the bottom of that end of the casting 20 over the rectangular opening in the bottom thereof.

From the helical flange 112 to the auger 119, which forces the material into the burrcasing through the customary receiving aperture, the shaft 23 carries two breaking and feed sleeves 122 having` the helically disposed ribs 123 co-operating with the material and the concave to break up the material, if necessary,'and feed it to the burrcasing, where it is ground.

The operation of my invention as applied to a grinding machine will now be readily apparent. To describe briefly the action of the complete machine of which my present invention forms a part, if alfalfa` or some similar material needing cutting, is to be handled it is fed into the chute 65 and is carried by the feed rolls 66 and 67 across the cutter bar 38 on which it is sheared into short sections by the rapidly rotating helical knives 36. So much of the hay as is cut into the proper lengths, i. e., so much of it as has its stalks at right angles to the length of the bar 38 in passing it, is forced or falls through the apertures in the screen plate 62 to the conveyer trough beneath. Such of it as is too long, i. e., that which passes diagonally across the cutter bar, is carried past the screen and is sheared between the knives 36 and the cutter bar 37.

the large sleeve 35 of the supporting cast- 9 ing for the knives preventing its wrapping about the cutter head, and the rapid movement throws the material out tangentially and carries it repeatedly past the cutter bars 38 and 37 as often as is necessary to insure its being cut to the short lengths necessary to pass through the perforations in the screens 62. If the material is simply to be c'ut, the door103 is removed, and the conveyer 73 carries the cut material to said door, through which it drops.

lf the structure embodying my present invention to be employed, i. e., if the material is to be ground. the door 103 is put in place. and the cnt material reaching it is lifted by the flange 107 into the path of the hooks 108. which lift the material and throw it into the path of the screw conveyer 112 which carries it through the passage formed beneath the casing 110. 111, into the 1 crushing concave 116. The projections 123 carry it on to the auger 119 which delivers it in'to the burr-casing 27, where it is ground to a degree of fineness depending upon how closely the burrs are set.

lf it is desired to grind some material, such for instance as thrashed oats which need no cutting, they are dumped into the hopper 115 and fed by the projections 123 and the auger 119 at the proper rate into the burrcasing 27. Under these conditions the rotating screw 112 in the passage beneath the easting 110, 111, acts as a seal to prevent the oats from flowing backward and down into the conveyer trough 78.

While I have shown and described my inventin as embodied in the form which I consider best adapted to carry out its purposes, it will be understood it is capable of modifications, and that I do not desire to be limited in the interpretation of the following claims, except as may be necessitated by the state of the prior art'.

W'hat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. In an elevating apparatus, the combination with a trough having a conveyer therein, of a receptacle having a receiving bpening in a side thereof at a higher level than the bottom of the trough, a screw conveyer extending through and operating in said receiving opening, and means for lifting the material to be elevated from the trough to the level of the receiving opening.

2, In an elevating apparatus, the combination with a trough having a screw conveyer therein, of a receptacle having a receiving opening in a side thereof at a higher level than the bottom of the trough, a screw conveyer operating in said receiving opening, and means for lifting the material to be elevated from the trough to the level of the receiving opening, said first mentioned screw conveyer having a tangential flange thereon beneath said lifting means to assist it in lifting the material.

3. In an elevating apparatus, the combination with a trough having a conveyer therein, of a receptacle having a receiving opening in the side thereof at a higher level than the bottom of the trough, a screw conveyer operating in said receivingv opening, and means for lifting the material to be elevated from the trough to the level of the receiving opening. said lifting means consisting of a hook having an inclined face carried by the screw conveyer just outside of the receiving opening.

4. In an elevating apparatus. the combination with a trough having a screw conveyer therein, of a receptacle having a receiving opening in a side thereof at a higher level than the bottom of the trough, a screw conveyer operating in said receiving opening, and a pair of hooks having inclined faces carried by the second screw conveyer liust outside of the receiving opening, said first mentioned screw conveyer having a tangential flange beneath said hooks to assist them in lifting the material. f A

5. In an elevating apparatus. the combination with a trough having a conveyer therein, of a receptacle having a receiving opening in a side thereof at a higher level than the bottom of the trough, al screw conveyer extending through and operating in said receiving opening, means for lifting the material to be elevated from the trough to the level of the receiving opening. and a partition in the trough extending down to the body of the conveyer to prevent backward movement of the material in the top of the trough.

6. In an elevating apparatus, the combination with a trough having a Screw conveyer therein, of a receptacle having a receiving opening in a side thereof at a higher level than the bottom of the trough, a second screw conveyer operating in said receiving opening, means for lifting the material to be elevated from the trough to the level of the receiving opening, and a partition in the trough extending down to the body of the conveyer to prevent backwardy movement of the material in the top of thel trough, a portion of the helical flange of said first screw conveyer being omitted to receive the partition.

7. In an elevating apparatus, the combination with a trough having a screw conveyer therein, of a receptacle having a receiving opening in a side thereof at a higher level than the bottom of the trough, a second screw conveyer operating in said receiving opening, means for lifting the material to be elevated from the trough to the level of the receiving opening, and a partition in the troughv extending down tothe body of the conveyer to prevent backward movement of the material in the top of the trough, a portion of the helical flange of said first screw conveyer being omitted to receive the partition, said screw conveyer inthe trough having a tangential flange beneath said lifting means to assist it in lifting the material.

8. In an elevating apparatus, the combination with. a conveyer having a helical flange terminating in a tangential portion parallel to its axis.l of a trough in which it rotates, a receptacle above the end of the trough having a receiving opening in the side thereof, and a rotating hook abo-ve the conveyer co-operating therewith to lift the material from the trough tothe receiving opening.

9. In an elevating apparatus, the co1nbination with a conveyer having a helical flange terminating in a tangential portion parallel to its axis, of a trough in which it rotates, a receptacle above the end of the trough having a receiving opening in the side thereof, a rotating hook above the conveyer co-operating therewith to lift the material from the troughto the receiving opening, and a partition extending across the trough above the axis of the conveyer to prevent rearward movement of the material in the upper part 'of the trough, for the purpose described.

10. In an elevating apparatus, the combination with a conveyer having a helical flange terminating in a tangential' portion parallel to its axis` of a trough in which it rotates, a receptacle above the end of the trough having a receiving opening in its side,a shaft rotating in said receptacle and extending through said opening, a rotating hook on said shaft above the conveyer cooperating therewit-h to lift the material into the receptacle, a helical flange on the shaft extending from the hook but of smaller di- 'ameter -and passing through the receiving opening, and a tapering casing extending over the helical flange, for the purpose described.

11. In an elevating apparatus, the combination with a conveyer having a helical flange terminating in a tangential portion parallel to its axis. of a trough in which it rotates, a receptacle above the end of the trough having a receiving opening in a side thereof, a shaft rotating in said receptacle and extending through said opening, a rotating hook on said shaft above the conveyer co-operating therewith to lift the material into the receptacle through the receiving opening, a helical flange on the shaft extending from the hook but of smaller diameter and passing through the receiving opening, a tapering casing extending over the thereon extending along the greater part of the length thereof, one end of said flange terminating in a comparatively short portion extending `tangentially from the hub and parallel to the axis thereof.

13. In an elevating apparatus, the combination with a trough having a screw conveyer therein, of a receptacle having a receiving opening in a side thereof at a higher level than the bottom of the trough, and means for lifting the material to be elevated from the trough to the level of the receiving opening, ,said screw conveyer having a tangential flange thereon beneath said lifting means to assist it in lifting the materal.

14. In an elevating apparatus, the com- 50` bination with a trough having a conveyer therein, of a receptacle having a receiving opening in the side thereof at a higher level than the bottom of the trough, and means for liftinv the material to be elevated from the trough to the level of the receiving opening, said lifting means consisting of a hook having an inclined face carried by the screw conveyer just outside of the receiving opening.

15. In an elevating apparatus, the combination with a trough having a -screw conveyer-therein, of -a receptacle having a receiving opening in Aa side thereof at at a higher level than the bottom ofthe trough, means for lifting the material to be elevated from the trough to the level of the receiving opening, and a partition in the trough extending down to the body of the conveyer to prevent backward movement of the material in the top of the trough, a por- `tion of the helical flange of said first screw conveyer being omitted to receive the partition.

16. In an elevating apparatus, the combination with a trough having a screw conveyer therein, of a ieceptacle having a receiving opening in a side thereof at a higher level than the bottom of the trough, means for liftino the material to be `elevated from the ti'ougli to the level of the receiving opening, and a partition in the trough extending down to the body of the conveyer to prevent backward movement of the material in the top of the trough, a portion of the helical flange of said first screw conveyer being omitted to receive the partition, said screw conveyer in the trough having a tangential flange beneath said lifting means to assist it in lifting tfhe material.

17. In an elevating ap aaratus, the coinbination with a trough, o a receptacle having a receiving opening at a higher level than the bottom of the trough, conveying means in the trough, a rotating shaft in the trouoh, and a tan ential flange on the shaft to lift the materia in the trough toward the receiving opening.

18. In an elevating apparatus, the combination with a trough, of a receptacle having a receiving opening at a higher level than the bottom of the trough, and a rotating shaft in said trough having a tangential flange thereon to lift the material toward receiving opening.

19. In an elevatin apparatus, the combination with a trou of a receptacle having a receiving o ening at a higher level than the bottom o the trough, and a rotating shaft in said trough having a conveying flange terminating in a tangential portion to lift the material in the trough toward the receiving opening.

20. In an elevating apparatus, the combination with a trough, of a rece tacle having a receiving opening at a higher level than the bottom of the trough, a rotating shaft in said trough having a conveying flange terminating in a tangential portion to lift the material in the trough toward the receiving opening, and a partition above the shaft to revent material running back in the top of) the trough.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal, this 25th day of November A. D. 1919.

JOHN HOLLAND LETZ. [1.. 5.] Witness:

JoHNI-IQWARD MoELaor. 

